Porsche has ne'er been 1 to shy distant from making uncommon models. We’re talking models wherever little than 10 person been produced, similar the 964 Turbo Cabriolet and the 993 Speedster. Among these rarities is simply a peculiar Porsche that wasn’t really a Porsche astatine all: the VW T3 B32. It doesn’t look similar a Porsche, it’s not badged arsenic a Porsche, but it volition decidedly sound, similar a Porsche.

In 1986, Porsche was fielding 2 959s successful the Paris Dakar Rally driven by 2 teams: René Metge partnered with Dominique Lemoyne successful one, and Jacky Ickx with Claude Brasseur successful the other. And portion these 959s were engineered to beryllium off-road beasts, susceptible of handling the toughest rally successful the world, they were inactive quick. With a 2.8-liter 400 horsepower flat-6, not overmuch could support up with them, including enactment vehicles. Porsche did person a 3rd 959 connected hand, which was considered for usage arsenic a enactment vehicle, but the squad needed thing some bigger and fast.

Something other Porsche had connected manus was a VW T3 van. Unfortunately, they were hilariously slow, and couldn’t support up with the fast-paced quality of the race, wherever similar each race, each infinitesimal counts. So alternatively than look for different conveyance oregon effort and marque bash with what they had, Porsche engineers acceptable to bash what immoderate gearhead would bash and modded the T3 vans to enactment with their needs.

While modular T3s were disposable with an array of engines, ranging from 1.6-liter level fours and I4’s each the mode up to a 2.6-liter I5, they were each slow. So alternatively than mod the existing engine, Porsche took a 288 hp flat-six from a 911 3.2 Carrera and dropped it successful the motor bay. Engineers past mated that level six with a Porsche transmission that routed powerfulness to the rear wheels. And since this was meant to support up with rally racing, engineers besides gave the T3 a unsocial suspension setup and bigger brakes. It was said to person a apical velocity of lone 116 mph, but successful reality, it was astir 135 mph.

While idiosyncratic rapidly glancing astatine a VW T3 B32 mightiness not beryllium capable to archer it isolated from a regular T3, Porsche did a fewer things to separate it. There were larger 16-inch wheels with Fuchs rims, further broadside vents to chill the bigger engine, beforehand and rear skirts, and a larger exhaust.

Inside determination was a afloat leather interior, a Porsche badge connected the steering wheel, and auxiliary gauges nether the halfway console, down the shifter.

While it’s not known whether oregon not this happening ever had immoderate accumulation intent, it’s believed that conscionable seven examples of the T3 B32 were ever made. While it wasn’t publically sold, immoderate ended up successful backstage hands, peculiar customers who had a narration with Porsche. A fewer of these adjacent person Porsche VINs. And immoderate are disposable for sale.

The illustration you spot supra is 1 that’s listed for sale astatine a Porsche dealer: Porsche Centrum Gelderland. It’s presently listed astatine €364,900, which with the existent speech rates to the U.S. dollar, that’s implicit $375,700. It’s successful request of a spot of restoration arsenic there’s immoderate deterioration present and there, but different than that it looks great. While the years person fixed america Porsche SUVs and a sedan, we whitethorn ne'er spot thing similar a Porsche van again.